


If We're Lucky

by icefallstears



Series: Flash Fic Prompts [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Bartrand is a KnickerWeasel, Body Horror, Broodmothers (Dragon Age), Deep Roads, Fenris is horrifed, Gen, Isabela is a Good Friend, POV Varric Tethras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-08-18 04:40:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8149402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icefallstears/pseuds/icefallstears
Summary: Prompt: CaveStopping to rest in their final week out of the Deep Roads, Fenris asks a question and deeply regrets the answer.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Set about two days after the "If We're Lucky" cut scene
> 
> This is the first of a set of flash prompts I'll be doing off and on. Prompts are from the Workshop on RoughTrade.org

Varric sat down on a piece of rubble when Hawke called for a halt as soon as they’d cleared out the cave. It was carved out of one side of the Hall of the Deep Roads that they were in. They’d been traveling for hours and they were still at least three days from the surface. They actually found some good loot in this one too. Looked like the Hurlocks had been stashing the stuff they’d taken from any other fools who decided venturing into the Deep Roads might be easy money. Fucking Bartrand. Varric couldn’t believe that his own brother had left him for dead. For fuck's sake it was only because of Varric convincing Hawke and her friends to join the expedition, that it had not only gotten into the Deep Roads but found the Thaig.    
  
Varric shifted over as Hawke sat next to him. Isabela and Fenris settled down on yet more rubble. Really it was just a disaster of a place but at least the entrance was easy to guard and it was more than warm enough this far down to not require lighting a fire. Some bad booze, and more chatter, and Varric could almost imagine that they were all back at the Hanged Man. Not that Fenris usually hung out there, but Hawke and Isabela were regulars by now.

Fenris spoke into the silence brought on by their exhaustion. “Why have we only seen Hurlocks? And just one Ogre? I would have thought there’d be more types of Darkspawn this far down.”   
  
Varric felt his face scrunch up in disgust at the thoughts the Elf had brought up. “We’re too far away from Orzammar for many Genlocks. The Ogre was probably only this far up because of the Blight last year. We haven’t met any Shrieks yet either. But then Dwarves and Elves generally keep a closer watch on their populations. We can’t afford to lose many females unlike the humans.”   
  
Hawke and Isabella shifted at that, but Fenris’ face screwed up in confusion. “What do females have to do with the different types of Darkspawn?”   
  
Varric felt sick to his stomach even as he laughed bitterly. “What, your Magister of a former owner not tell you how Darkspawn are born? Or ever mention Broodmothers?”    
  
Hawke shifted closer to Varric and fiddled with her mage staff, little bits of lightning dripping off it like she was ready to strike out at any moment. Isabela got up and sat on the other side of Hawke, practically in the mage’s lap. Varric didn’t blame them. Broodmothers were a topic that should horrify people and as women it must be a special type of nightmare.    
  
Fenris shook his head, but his eyes took note of his companions' discomfort. “I’ve never heard about how Darkspawn came about outside of the tale of the Black City.”   
  
Varric nodded. “Well the tale of the Black City tells how the first Darkspawn came into being. But the Broodmothers are what have created the succeeding generations and built their armies for the Blights. A female of any species that is captured alive by the Darkspawn can be turned into a Broodmother. They are fed the flesh of whichever species they come from and repeatedly raped by the darkspawn for months. Eventually the corruption from eating the flesh and being filled with blighted seed changes them into a monstrous being that gives birth to Darkspawn.”    
  
“A Dwarven female creates Genlocks. Humans create Hurlocks, and the Elves, Shrieks. The rarest of the rare are Qunari Broodmothers, which birth the Ogres. Which is why we’ve only seen one Ogre and the rest Hurlocks. The Dwarven city Orzammar is across the Waking Sea, the Dalish elves stay far away from the Deep Roads, and you are the only city elf I know crazy enough to come down here.”   
  
Varric watched as Fenris looked at Hawke and Isabela with fresh horror, “And Bartrand knows this?”   
  


Varric nodded grimly, “He knows. He’s studied the Deep Roads for years. And still he locked us in that room alive. If he had any mercy; he’d have killed Hawke and Isabela before locking the door, but he was too much of a coward to take us on.”   
  
Isabela spoke, “I’d rather cut my own throat than become a Broodmother.”   
  
Hawke spoke then, “I’d kill you myself before I let them take you alive.”   
  
Isabella leaned her head on Hawke’s shoulder then, “Me too, Hawke, me too.”   
  
Varric cut in, trying to change the subject and the mood, “ We’ve made it through the worst of it. Besides, haven’t you noticed? We’ve started passing semi fresh remains. Bartrand’s just a few days ahead of us. If they hit more patrols it could slow them down enough that we might catch up to them.”   
  
Hawke looked him in the eye with an expression that boded ill for Varric’s brother's health and gave a half laugh. “If we’re lucky.”   



End file.
